Slip last hinge



H. G. CLAUSING SLIP LAST HINGE Oct. 18, 1955 Filed Jan. 21, 1955 ATTYS [y 6 DVENTOIS.

e? allslfl United States Patent SLIP LAST HINGE Henry G. Clausing, Portsmouth, Ohio, assignor to Vulcan Corporation, Portsmouth, Ohio, a corporation of Gino Application January 21, 1955, Serial No. 433,245

6 Claims. (Cl. 12136) This invention relates to a new and improved slip last hinge that is particularly adapted for use in all sizes and kinds of shoe lasts, including lasts utilized in the manufacture of shoes identified in the trade as welts, McKays, stitch downs, etc.

An object of the present invention is to provide a last hinge that has a novel spring locking arrangement designed to coordinate only with the hinge parts, thus securing a hinge that may be installed in the same position in all shoe lasts with the assurance of obtaining equal spring tensions for all installations.

Another object of the invention is to provide a slip last hinge that may be readily fitted in a particular last and which requires no special attachment of its spring biasing means to the last itself.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stronger and a more positively acting collapsible shoe last, a still further feature of the present invention being the provision of an improved stop means for limiting collapsing movement of the heel part with respect to the last link to preclude gouging out of the heel part rout by the link when undue forces are exerted on the last to collapse it. a

These and other features of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing Wherein the same reference numerals indicate identical parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of my slip last hinge shown in expanded condition in a shoe last that has parts thereof broken away and shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentai view similar to Fig. 1 showing the last parts in collapsed positions.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, numeral 4 generally represents a collapsible shoe last having a forepart 5 and an interfitting heel part 6. The parts 6 and 7 are provided with the usual stepped or offset mating faces 8 and 9, respectively, which form cooperative shoulders on the parts for determining the expanded position of the slip last as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

Preferably my last hinge 10 is constructed substantially in the manner described in my Patent No. 2,622,253, dated December 23, 1952, having reference also to the pending application of Edward F. Schmank, filed on September 8, 1954, and given Serial No. 454,700 in the United States Patent Otfice; now Patent No. 2,702,394 of February 22, 1955. The hinge 19 comprises a bowed link 11 located in aligned routs 12 and 13 formed in the last parts 5 and 6, respectively, one end of the link being pivotally connected to the forepart 5 by a transverse pin 14 anchored in said part, whilst the opposed end of the link is pivotally connected to the heel part 6 by a lateral pin 15 anchored in said part. Thus the forepart 5 and heel part 6 are connected together by the link 11 for relative swinging movements from their expanded positions shown in Fig. 1 to their collapsed position illustrated in Fig. 2, and return.

My last hinge has a stationary latch abutment which takes the form a heightwise catch plate 16, said plate being mounted in the rout 13 by means of the pivot pin 15 passing through an aperture in its lower end and by a lateral pin 17 anchored in the heel part and passing through an opening in an intermediate portion of the plate. A latch lever 18 is pivotally mounted at its lower end on the pivot pin 14 in the forepart, said lever extending upwardly therefrom and being provided at its upper end with an abutment in the form of a rearwardly projecting portion 19 which engages the upper edge of the latch abutment on the catch plate 16 to lock the last parts in extended operative positions.

As best shown in Fig. 2 the body portions of the link 11 and the latch lever 18 have substantially the same lateral dimensions across corresponding portions thereof that are disposed adjacent their common pivot pin 14, to the end that a biasing means preferably in the form of a U-shaped spring 20 encircles the pivoted ends of the link and lever and will have its ends 21 and 22 in yieldable engagement with opposed sides of the said link and lever when the hinge parts are in the inoperative, last collapsed condition illustrated in said Fig. 2. With reference to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the spring is made of flat stock having a width substantially that of the Width of the rout 12 in the forepart which is just wide enough to accommodate the combined thickness of the link and lever thus preventing edgewise displacement of the spring with respect to the pivoted ends of said members. Longitudinal displacement of the spring is prevented by the curved inner wall portion 23 of the rout 12 adjacent the pivot pin 14, it also being noted that assembly of the link and the lever on pin 14 is facilitated by reason of the fact that the spring will hold the said members together in assembled position when they are inserted into the rout for insertion of the pin into their aligned pivot pin holes. When it is desired to lock the last parts in expanded condition the parts are swung on the link 11 from the position shown in Fig. 2 to their positions illustrated in Fig. l, which brings the projection 19 on the lever into sliding contact with the upper end portion of the catch plate. This action moves the common pivoted ends of the lever and link apart thus spreading the U-shaped spring apart and putting it under tension by reason of the fact that one edge of the lever engages the spring end 22 and the opposed edge of the link 11 engages the spring end 21, said opposed edges of the link and lever moving in relatively opposite directions during closing movement of the last parts. Because this locking action is the same for all sizes of shoe lasts a uniform spring biasing tension is assured for all lasts utilizing my last hinge. Further when the hinge parts are in collapsed position the last parts are free to swing on the link 11, since the spring serves to hold the lever out of engagement with the catch plate re.

The rear edge of the catch plate has a forwardly extending and relatively deep recess 24 formed therein in a position substantially midway between the pivot pin 15 and the pin 17 which fix the heightwise catch plate in the heel part 6. The terminal wall 25 of the recess 24 is forwardly of the pins 15 and 17 and is adapted to engage a lateral projection 26 formed on the link 11 to limit swinging movement of the heel part on the link 11 when the last parts are moved to their collapsed positions thus precluding gouging of the sole portion of the heel part body at the bottom of rout 13 by the lower edge of the link. An advantage of the construction just described is to provide a positive and extremely strong stop means for the last hinge that will withstand relatively high operational forces by reason of the fact that the projection 26 is positioned for movement Within the recess 24 and engages the terminal wall 25 at the bottom of the recess which is located well forwardly of the mounting pins and 1,7 of the catch plate 16.

Having thus described my invention and pointed out its salient features I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

'1. A shoe last comprising two parts having mating contact surfaces, a' stationary latch abutment in onelast part, a latch arm pivotally mounted in the other last' part andhaving an abutment thereon for engagement with the stationary latch abutment to lock the last parts in expanded positions, a last link swingably connecting the parts and having a pivotal connection with the said other last part that is located on a common center with the pivotal mounting for .the latch arm, the body portions of the link and the arm adjacent their common pivfotal centers being shaped to have substantially the same lateral, dimensions, and biasing means in yieldable enpanded positions,

2. A shoe last comprising two parts having mating contact surfaces, a link connecting the parts for relative H swinging movements between collapsed and expanded condition, a stationary latch abutment in one last part, a latch arm pivotally mounted in the other last part, said lever and the link having intermediate body portions in face-to-face contact and shaped to have substantially the same lateral extents, and biasing means yieldably positioned on opposite sides of the intermediate body portions of the arm and link for maintaining siad body portions in lapped positions when the last parts are in collapsed position and urging the latch lever abutment into contact with the latch abutment when the link and arm swing apart to permit the last parts to be moved into their expanded conditions.

3. A shoe last comprising two parts having mating contact surfaces, a stationary latch abutment in one last part, a latch arm pivotally mounted in the other last part and having an abutment thereon for engagement with the stationary abutment to lock the last parts in expanded positions, a last link swingably connecting the parts and having a pivotal connection with the last mentioned last part located on a common center with the pivotal mounting, for the latch arm, the body portions of the' link and the arm adjacent their common pivotal centers being shaped to have substantially the same lateral dimensions, and a U-shaped spring surrounding the'pivoted ends of the link and arm and having its ends in yieldableengagement with opposed sides of the body portions of the said link and arm when the latch is in unlocked condition, said means being adapted to engage the link and urge the arm abutment into engagement with'the catch'plate abutment when the link and arm.

swing apart to permit the last parts to move toward and into their expanded conditions. a

' 4. A shoe last comprising a forepart and heel part each having two offset meeting surfaces forming coopera- 4 tive shoulders for maintaining the last parts in operative, expanded positions, a link between the forepart and the heel part, a first pivot pin connecting the link to the forepart, a second pivot pin connecting the link to'the heel part, a latch arm pivoted at its lower end to the first pivot pin and extending upwardly beyond the body of the shoe last, a heightwise catch plate fixed at its lower end to the second pivot pin and extending upwardly beyond the body of last, a transverse pin positioned in the upper portion of the heel part and fixed to an intermediate portion of the catch plate, the upper free end of said latch arm having a rearwardly extendf ing lug engageable .upon the upper edge of the catch plate, the intermediate body portions of the link and the arm adjacent the first pivot pin having substantially the same lateral dimensions, and in overlapped relationship in last collapsed position, and a U-shaped spring encircling the common pivoted ends of the link and armfand biasing the arm into latching engagement with the catch plate when the arm and link are movedapart to permi-t movement ofthe last parts toward expanded condition.

5. A shoe last comprising a forepart and ahead part each having two offset meeting surfaces forming cooperative shoulders for maintaining the said 'last parts in operative, expanded positions, a link between the forcpart and the heel part, a first pivot pin connecting the link to the forepart, a second pivot pin connecting the link to the heel part, a latch arm pivoted at its lower end to the first pivot pin and extending upwardly, beyond the'body of the shoe last, a catch abutment formed on the upper portion of the latch arm, a stationary abutment positioned in the heel part above the second pivot pin, and a spring encircling the link and the arm at their first pivot pin connections and operatively engaging opposed, divergent edges of the said arm and link to yieldably urge the arm against the fixed abutment in the direction of the second pivot pin. a

6. A shoe last comprising a forepart and a heel part each having two offset meeting surfaces forming cooperative shoulders for maintaining the said last parts in operative, expanded positions, a link between the forepart and the heel part, a first pivot pin connecting the link to the forepart, a second .pivot pin connecting the.

link to the heel part, a latch arm pivoted at its lower end to the first pivot pin and extending upwardly beyond the body of the shoe last, a catch abutment formed Q 1 the upper portion of the latch arm, a stationary abutment positioned inthe heel part above the second pivot, pin, and a contractile, substantially lJ-shaped spring mounted on the link and arm and encircling their first pivot pin connections, said spring having its respective ends.-top eratively engaging opposed divergent edges of .thesaid arm and lin and'yieldably urging the arm against the fixed abutment in the direction of the second pivot pin connection. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,702,394 Schmank Feb. '22, 1955 

